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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Diets for Cleansing the Blood

If you have an abnormal blood profile, know that you need not resort to medication or premature surgery to find a solution. Through manipulation of dietary practices, you can effectively "cleanse" the blood of excess compounds, balancing the body and restoring health. If you have been considering more invasive options to treat their blood-related conditions, this article will show you another way.

Cleansing Cholesterol With Atkins

The Atkins Diet has been shown to positively affect cholesterol levels in the blood, thus making it an ideal option for a blood cleansing diet. A study published in the May 22, 2003 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that over a year's time, individuals on the Atkins Diet improved their HDL cholesterol by 18 percent (as opposed to 3 percent in the control group). Furthermore, triglycerides levels in the Atkins group were reduced by 28 percent, to be compared against a one percent increase in the control group. Thus, if you are looking to cleanse your blood, consider Atkins.

The Atkins Diet begins with a two week induction period, during which you must consume no more than 20 grams of carbs per day. Following this, fruits and vegetables are reintroduced into the diet, and the daily carb allowance is raised to a more reasonable 40 grams. You should maintain this level of carb consumption until you are several pounds away from your target weight. At that point, begin to steadily increase carb intake until you are losing no more than a pound per week. Upon reaching your target weight, you are allowed to eat your personalized daily carb allowance, which is the maximum number of carbs you can eat without regaining weight.

Cleansing Blood Sugar With the South Beach Diet

Low-carb diets can also help to clear the blood of excess sugar. Blood sugar is primarily raised through consumption of carbs, thus keeping carbs out of your diet is a perfect way to cleanse the blood of excess sugar, regaining control over your weight and staving off the potential of developing diabetes. To that end, consider the South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet is a less restrictive version of Atkins. Instead of banning carbs altogether, it only bans unhealthy carbs, allowing you to keep many of your favorite foods in your diet.

The South Beach Diet also begins with a two week induction phase. During this period, eat only eggs, fish, lean meat, low fat dairy, and leafy, green veggies. Following the induction, reintroduce fruit, whole grains, nuts, and red wine (in limited amounts) into the diet. Consume six small meals a day--three snacks and three larger (but still reasonable) meals. By restricting refined and processed carb intake, you will cleanse your blood of excess sugar (and also cholesterol) while getting leaner in the process.

Rebalancing pH Levels with a Raw Food Detox

Blood pH is an important, but often overlooked, component of health. In a normal, healthy individual, blood should be neutral--neither acidic nor alkaline. Most of our everyday food choices like meats and white breads are acidic in nature. Consumption of excess acidity can unbalance your blood's pH levels over time.

To remedy this problem, consider a brief two-week detox consisting of nothing but raw, natural foods. Base your diet around healthy, alkaline foods like fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and sprouts. Although this might seem restrictive, give it a try before dismissing it. After a few days on this type of diet, your blood pH levels will begin to naturally stabilize and you should feel re-energized and youthful.

General Blood Cleansing with an Organic Diet

If you are not suffering from any specific condition, try cleansing your blood with this general organic diet, recommended by Gary Gran, a certified yoga instructor. The basic step to beginning a cleansing diet is to eliminate consumption of all processed, canned, junk, and salty foods, while simultaneously giving up desserts, snacks, leftovers, and anything that contains additives. The next step is to increase consumption of fruits, veggies, and herbs, while reducing consumption of non-fruit and veggie carbs, fats, and proteins. Avoid wheat and corn while sticking to quinoa, kasha, and rice for your grains. Abstain from animal proteins for the time being, and limit yourself to only the essential fatty acids like olive and sunflower oils.

The bulk of your diet should consist of raw fruits and vegetables (organic where possible). The best herbs for cleansing the blood are burdock, aloe, turmeric, and dandelion, so consider drinking cups of dandelion or burdock tea between meals to assist you in your blood cleansing efforts. Stick to this diet for between three days to three weeks, depending on your mood and condition. Ideally, you should feel light and refreshed at the conclusion of the diet.

Considerations

Although Atkins and the South Beach Diet were recommended, any low-carb diet that stresses consumption of natural foods can be used to cleanse the blood. So garner the general idea from these examples, and do not become fixated on just these two diets. Cleansing your blood of excess cholesterol and sugar can go a long way towards preventing disease and extending your life, so the best time to start one of these plans is today.

Diets for Cleansing the Blood
Reviewed by Ted Tulloch
on Thursday, February 27, 2014
Rating: 4.5